Car-coupling.



E. P. KINNE. CAR couPuNG.

APPLICATION FILED NO-V. 22, 1913.

1,151,691, Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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APPLICAT 2. 1913. 1,151,69L Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

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' which the following is citizen of the United UTE@ STATE@ T EDMUND P.KINNE, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLI'NG.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDMUND P. KINNE, a States,and resident of Alliance, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Couplings, ot

a specification.

My invention relates to car couplers and has particular reference to anovel coupler similar to the coupler disclosed in the copendingapplication of Janney' & Kinne, Serial No. 603,858, filed Jan. 21, 1911.

Due to the requirements of the railroads and the constant efforts of theInterstate- Commerce Commission for improvements in railway applianceswhich would tend to reduce the dangers to passengers and employees, manychanges in coupler equipment have taken place. Much of the loss inproperty damage and personal injury is caused by defective couplers. Itis not uncommon for a train to become parted due to unlocking of thecoupler caused by insuficient anti-creep provisions. Further, manytrainmen are injured by passing between cars in the act of couplingbecause of failure of the lock to unseat from the lock-set,necessitating manual adjustment.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide an eiiicientlock-set together with eifective means for unseating the lock from thelock-set. In the present construction this is accomplished by formingthe lock-set on the side corresponding to the locking face of thecoupler, or, in other words, at a point which is close to it notintersected by the arc of movement of the knuckle tail. On the returnmovement of the knuckle it will be seen that the lock is positivelypulled from the lock-set if it has not theretofore been unseated in the'opening movement.

A further object is to provide an efficient anti-creep, which shall bepositive, which shall have no loose parts or triggers and which cannotfail to operate.

A third object is to provide elicient knuckle throwing means whereby theknuckle may surely be thrown from the side of the car without necessityfor the workmen pass'- ing between the cars.

My invention will be more readily under?- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug.'-31, 1915. Serial No. 802,380.

stood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

igure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a coupler constructed inaccordance with my invention, the lock being shown in normal lockedposition; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lock in lock-setposition; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the knuckle fully opened withthe lock unseatedfrom the lock-set and resting on the tail of theknuckle; F ig. 4 is a similar view showing the lock and knuckle openerinthe position they will assume after the knuckle has been thrown ;vFig. 5 is a horizontal section showing the guides for the lock; F ig. 6is al perspective view of the lock; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal verticalsection on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5, showing the lock in normal lockedposition, and, Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the lock in anti-creepposition; thatA is, the position the lock would assume after thecreeping action had begun.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that Iprovide a coupler head 10, in which is pivoted a knuckle 11, having atail 12, and a locking face 13. On the upper rear portion of the knuckletail is an upstanding rib 14, adapted to assist in /unseating the lock,as will be hereinafter described. Within the head 10, I provide a groove15, acting as a guide for one side of the lock 16, and cooperating withan extension or rib 17 thereon. In order to assure the proper verticaltravel of the lock and at the same time permit of necessary oscillationwhen in raised position, I provide a guide rib 15, extending inwardlyfrom the rear coupler wall. Midway in the height of the wall on theguard arm side of the coupler,I provide an offset portion forming aledge 18, which acts as a lock-set. A support 19 is provided for thelock at the bottom. The lock 16 is provided with a toe 20, whichcooperates with the ledge 18, and also with the support 19 when the lockis in normal position. It will be noted that the lock 16 is providedwith a staple 21, to which a lifter 22, is attached and that the lifteracts on the lock to lift the Same from a point to the right of thecenter of gravity of the lock. rIhus the lock tends to swing to theright at' its bottom, assuring the coperation the head and with a of thetoe 20 with the ledge 18. As a positive means for causing the coperationo toe 20 with ledge 18, it will be seen that the lock cooperates withthe knuckle thrower 23, just as it reaches a point where the toe 20 isabove the ledge 18, and as the contact of the thrower 28 with the lock16 is at a point to the left of its support, the lock will be forced toswing and bring it into lock-set position. i

The knuckle thrower is similar to that disclosed in earlier applicationsfiled by me and need not be specifically described except to say thatthe thrower is trunnions 2st, cooperating with seats 25, in downwardlyextending foot 2G, cooperating ywith the knuckle tail and throughswinging motion caused by the extreme lifting of the lock 16, forces theknuckle outwardly in a line not unopposed to the line of travel of theknuckle tail.

The anti-creeping provision, as best shown in Figs. 7 and 8, consists ofa ledge 28, formed from the wall of the coupler and eX- tendingtransversely of the coupler shank, this ledge lying at a point slightlyabove the upper, rear edge lock is in normal position. Any creepingaction of the lock will tend to rock the same thus causing the point 16to project beneath the plane of the ledge 28, as shown in Fig. 8. rl`husany creeping of the lock is effectually overcome. Also provided on theupper face of the knuckle tail 12 and extending transversely of the rib14 is a hump or upward projection 27, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.As shown, this projection is triangular in cross section and is adaptedto contact the toe 31, of the lock as the knuckle is opened,` the lockbeing raised out of contact vwith the lock seat. As the knucklecontinues to open the projection 31 passes the high pointon theprojection 27, then rides down the incline on the other side of thetriangle, thus moving the lock to the left and bringing the toe 2O outof a plane where it may engage with the ledge 18. As the lockv ridesdown the incline it will descend bodily, the toe 2O then being below theledge 18, and any further movement of the knuckle will not tend to causeengagement in such manner as to again seat the lock on the lock-set. Thelock rides in such manner on the knuckle tail during both the openingand closing movement being retained' in proper relation by reason of therib 14. However,

on the closing movement of the knuckle tail, assuming that the lock mayhave become reseated on the lockset, the projection 31 on the lock willbe contacted by the projection 27 on the knuckle tail, thus positivelypulling the lock from the lockset and permitting it to drop into lockedposition.

1t will be understood that the knuckle thrower 26 is rotated by contactof the arm provided with f 16 of the lock when the A 23 with the top ofthe lock 16. In order to assist in the throwing action 1 provide afulcrum for the lock 1G, whereby the lock swings around a point ofcontact between a portion of the lock and a projection on the guard armside of the coupler wall. As shown, the lock is provided with an upwardextension 29 of the rib 17, this extension being adapted to coperatewith a stop 30 at the top of the vertical groove 15, the stop acting asa fulcrum around which the lock may pivot when lifted to its eXtremeupward limit. rlhis provides for a free actuation of the knuckle throwerdue to the removal of any binding or friction which might be occasionedin a straight lifting movement with-l out providing a point on which thelock could fulcrum. One of the principal advantages in such constructionis Vin that the knuckle may be thrown with a shorter movement of thelifting element. yBy the elimination of frictional or binding resistancesuch shorter lift is possible without unnecessarily increasing the throwthe knuckle.

By the construction herein shown I am enabled to provide a fulllockingface for force necessary to the lock on the guard arm side of thecou- Y pler and also to provide a lockset on the guard arm side wherebylocksetting is assured and unseating from the lockset is positivelyassured.

1t is obvious that certain modifications may be made in the constructionshown and such modifications as are within the scope of my claims 1consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. 1n a car coupler, the combination of a head and a knuckle pivotedtherein, a vertically movable locking member, locksetting meansprojecting outwardly from a wall on the guard arm side of the head, saidlocking member being caused to cooperate with said locksetting means byswinging movement of the lock in a line substantially parallel with themovement of the knuckle tail, and anticreeping means, on the couplerrear wall said means being active only on a backward locking movement ofthe lock, substantially as described.

2. In a car coupler, the combination of a head having an interior stopnear the top thereof on the guard arm side, a knuckle pivoted in saidhead, a bell crank knuckle thrower, a locking member vertically movablewithin said head, said locking member having a portion adapted tocontact the stop in said head and fulcrum therearound, another portionof the lock contactingy said bell-crank knuckle-thrower whereby torotate the same on its pivot, substantially as described.

3. In a car coupler, the combination of a head having a stop thereinwithin the upper portion thereof, a knuckle pivoted in said head, a bellcrank knuckle throWer mounted on trunnions Within said head and mountedfor swinging movement in a line substantially parallel with the line ofmovement of the knuckle tail, a vertically movable lookk ing memberhaving a portion adapted to Contact the stop in said head and fulcrumtherearound, another portion of said lock contacting said bell crankknuckle throvver 10 whereby to swing the same and rotate said knuckle,substantially as described.

EDMUND P. KINNE. Witnesses:

LAUNA CARLISLE, HANS SCHLICHTING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

